Machinery for stemming tobacco.



v Patented lung I9, i900. J. E. SCHULFIELD &. G. M. GUERRANT.

No. 652mg.

MACHINERY FOB STEMMINQ TUBAGG.

(Application led. In'. 21, 11.899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Mqdel.)

WITNESS/55' /NVENTORS No. 652,009. Patented :une l0, |900. J. 5. scHooLFpELD a 0. M. GUEHRANT. MACHINERY FCB STEMMING TOBACCO.

(Application med um. 21, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shut 2.

WTNESSES /NVENTORIS'I l' me45-d f QM UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. SCHOOLFIELD AND GEORGE M. GUERRANT, OFIDANVILLE,

VIRGINIA.

MACHINERY FORSTEMMING TOBACCO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters I'j'atent No. 652,009, dated J' une 19, 1900.

Application filed March 213.1399- T'o d/ZZ whom t may concern;

Be it knownthat we, JAMES E. SCHOOL- FIELD and GEORGE M. GUERRANT, citizens of the United States, residing at Danville, in the y county of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia, have invented an Improvement in Machinery for Stemming Tobacco, of which the following is a specification.V

The object of this invention is to seize the tobacco-leaves by their butts or thicker portions of the stems and carry'the same gradually through the machine and expose such leaves to the action of stripping-blades that have a rising-and-falling motion and an opening-and-closing motion, so that the strippingblades are drawn apart or opened, raised, and then forced toward each other or closed around the stems ofthe leaves, and then moved vdownward to strip off the thinner porr tions of such leaves, and then the strippers open and the operations are repeated, and in carrying out this improvement the stripperblades are advantageously placed in ranges that are gradually lower down, so as to act rst upon the portions of the leaf near the butt of the stem and then as the leaf is carried forward through the machine to act lower down upon the leaf until it is finally separated from the stem, the leaf in this operation hanging vertically.

In the drawings, Figures 1 is a general plan view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section at 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross-section in larger size at 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing some of the strippers and the devices for actuating the same, and Fig. 5 illustrates the devices that press upon the belts to cause them to hold the stems.

The frame A is made with two side portions and an open center portion to allow the leavs to hang freely in such open center portion, and the feed-belts B B are upon horizontal pulleys C C', and we find it advantageous to use a second set'of feed-belts D, which are above the first set B, the pulleys C being` common for the two sets of belts, and at the distant end of the machine the belts D pass around the pulleys E, and any suitable mechanism is employed for driving the pulleys and belts. We have shown the bevel-gears G for vertically from said belts.

Serial No. 709,934. (No model.)

giving motion to the shaft of one of the pulleys E and straight gearing H for connecting `the shafts of the respective pulleys.

C3 represents stationary segmental brushes the leaves separated, so that the leaves pass singly in between the feed-belts B B and hang These feed-belts are provided with pins that pass into and engage the thicker portions of the stems, and said belts B B carry the leaves forward, with part of the butt-ends projecting sufciently above said Ibelts so as to be taken by the belts D when such butts arrive at said belts. In order that the butts of the tobacco-leaves may stand at the proper height above the feeding-belts B B, we provide a horizontal plate C2 above each mouth C4 of the brushes. The operator in feeding the tobacco into the mouth C4 places the butts of the leaves against the'under side of the plate C2. Hence said plate acts as a gage and determines the height at which the butts project above the belts B B.

We have shown the brushes as adjacent to both pulleys C C andwith two mouths C4 in order that the tobacco may be fed from either side of the machine or from both sides at once; but it is evident that this feeding device will work equally well when the brush is adjacent to and encircles part of only one-of the pulleys C. Any suitable device may be employed for pressing the two adjacent parts of the belts B B toward each other, so as to insure the butts of the tobacco-leaves being firmly held by said belts. in Fig. l only rollers C7, supported from the frame of the machine, for accomplishingsaid object.

The stripping-blades I are approximately similar to saws, notched on their edges and in two groups, one on each side of the leaves as they hang, and these stripping-blades are We have shown l'fastened to vertical plates K, that are connected kat their upper ends to the longitudinal bars L, and these bars are upon slides that surround and are free to be moved up and down upon the vertical studs or columns M, and these studs or columns are uponV a base-bar that is supported upon horizontal slides N, so that the respective groups of strippers can not only be moved up and down, but be moved toward or from each other.

Any suitable mechanism may' be employed for raising and lowering the strippers' and-for bringing them toward each other or apart to open them from the leaves. We have, however,r represented crank-pins O upon gearwheels P, acting upon horizontal slotted bars connected with the bars L for raising and lowering the sets of strippers, and wer have also shown crank-pins R, that act upon vertical bars S to press thestrip pers toward each other or to draw them back, and these crankpins can be revolved by suitable mechanism.` .We have represented gear-wheels for this .purpose receiving their motion from the shaft T,'to which suitable power is to be applied.

It is advantageous to construct the stripping-plates so that one passes slightly above the other in order that the stems may be received into the notches of the plates and the plates close around such stems sufcientlyl for scraping the thinner leaf portions from the stems, and by providing spring-plates, to` which the stripper-plates are connected, these yield to any unusual thickness of vstern or groupof stems, so as not to cut the stems in the-stemming operation, and these stripperplates being at successively lower levels commence to act upon the tobacco at the upper and larger ends of the stems, and as the tobacco-leaves are carried along through the machine they are exposed to the action of stripper-plates that are lower down until the y leaf is Iinally removed entirely from the stem.

It is important that the belts D should hold p the stems with sufficient firmness to prevent the'strippers drawing the stems down from between the belts, and with this object in Yview longitudinal bars U are provided behind the belts withrollers upon the bars acting against the backs ofthe belts to keep one belt toward the other. (See perspective View,

Fig. 5.)

While it is generally advantageous to have thestripping-plates separate and substantia-lly horizontal, we do not limit ourselvesin lthis particular so long vas the strippers lap suiciently for the stems to be in the notches and embraced by the strippers as such strippers are moved toward each other and before they are moved downward. Y,

`We have shown the belts B as 4close together to receive the stems of the leaves be -tween them. i21, 1899, `Serial No. 709,933, we have shown :a-tub'ular belt between the feeding belts Eithefrorm of feed may be used in either In an application led YMarch We claim as our invention- 1. Thev combination with feeding-belts for carrying the leaves through the machine with the stems substantially vertical and the butts or thicker portions of the stems uppermost, of strippers in the form of plates having notched edges and arranged at each side of the feeding-belts,y the notched edges being at successively-lower levels and means for communicatin g to such strippers an up-and-down movement and a forward and backward movement, so that the strippers ascend out of contact with the leavesv and are closed 'against the leaves, moved downward to strip the same and opened to separate the strippers from the leaves as they return to the higher elevation, substantially as set'forth.

2. The combination with feeding-belts for carrying the leaves through the machine with the stems substantially vertical and the butts or thicker portions ofthe stems uppermost, n

of strippers in the form of notched horizontal plates arranged in two oppositely-placed groups, one at each side of the feeding-belts, the plates of each group being at successivelylower levels, and means for communicating to such strippers an upand-down movement and a forward-and-backward movement, so that the strippers ascend out of contact with the leaves and are closed against the leaves, moved downward to strip the same and opened to separate the strippers from the leaves as they return to the higher elevation, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for stemming tobacco, a pair of feeding belts between which the thicker portions of the stems are received, means for pressing such belts against the stems, of strippers in the form of notched,

horizontal plates arranged in two oppositelyplaced groups, one at each side of the feeding-belts, the plates of each group being at successively-lower levels and means for rreciprocatingsuch stripper-plates and for forcing them against the leaves and for drawing them back from such leaves, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination in a machine for stemming tobacco, of feeding-belts between which 'the stems of the leaves are received with their thicker ends upward, means for pressing the belts against the stems, of strippers in the form of notched horizontal plates arranged in two oppositely-placed groups, one at each side of thefeeding-belts, the plates of each group being at successively-lower levels, and springplates for carrying the stripper-plates and means for reciprocating such stripper-plates t0 open and close.'the same and for forcing them against the leaves and for drawing them back from such leaves, substantially as set forth.

5. In Va tobacco-stemming machine, the

`combination with thefeeding-belts, of str-ippers in the form of notched horizontal plates arranged in two oppositely-placed groups, one at each side of the feeding-belts, the

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plates of each group being at successivelylower levels, spring-plates for supporting the VIs same, bars with which such spring-plates are connected, gearing and cranks for raising and lowering the bars and for pressing the strippers toward each other and for withdrawing them from contact with the leaves, substantially as set forth. Y

6. The combination in atobacco-stemming machine, of means for seizing the stems and carrying the leaves through the machine, and of strippers in the form of notched horizontal plates arranged in. two oppositely-placed groups, one at each side of the feeding-belts, the plates of each group being at successivelylower levels, and means for reciprocating the -same in the directionl of the stems of the leaves and means for pressing the strippers against the leaves before they commence to reciprocate from the butts of the leaves toward the points and then for drawing back such strippers before reciprocating in the other direction, substantially as-specied.

7. In a machine for stemming tobacco, the combination with a pair of feeding-belts between which the thicker portions of the stems are received, and means for pressing such belts against the stems, of the notched horizontal stripperplates I arranged in two groups, one at each side of the feeding-belts, the plates of each group being at successivelylower levels, the bars L and spring-plates K for supporting said notched plates, the guides M, gearing P, crank-pins R and vertical bars S for reciprocating the notched plates, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a machine for stemming tobacco, the combination with apair of feeding-belts between which the thicker portions of the stems are received, and means for pressing such 'belts against the stems, of the notched horizontal stripper plates I arranged in two groups, one at each side of the feeding-belts, the plates of each group being at successivelylower levels, the bars L and spring-plates K for supporting said notched plates, the guides `M and N, gearing P, crank-pins O and R and bars against` whichthe crank-pins act for reciprocating and raising andloweringthe stri pper-plates, substantially `as set forth.

9. In a machinefor stemming tobacco, the combination with the feeding-belts D, `and ymeans for pressing such belts against `the stems of the leaves, of a group of plates K of varying lengths at either side of the feedingbelts, horizontal stripper-plates attached to .y

the plates K and havingy notched edges oppositely placed, bars L to each of which one entire group of stripper-plates are connected, vertical supports on which said bars slide, a slotted arm rising from each Vof the bars L,

`pins in said slots and means for actuating said pins and slotted arms to impart an upand-down movement 4to the stripper-plates, substantially j as specied.

l0. In a machine for stemming tobacco, the

combination with vthe feeding-belts for carrying the. leaves into the machine with the stems substantially vertical, pulleys around which said belts pass and means for driving said pulleys and belts, of stationary segmenzontal gage-plates C to determine the height that the stems project above the feeding-belts, substantially as specified.

12. In a machine for stemming tobacco, the

combination with the feeding-belts for carrying the leaves into the machinewith the stems substantially Vertical, pulleys around which said belts pass and'means for driving said pulleys and belts,of a brush at the feeding end of the machine adjacent to and partially encircling one'of the outer pairs-of'said pulleys 'and between which brush and the belt the tobacco isfed, substantially as-specifled.

13. Ina machine for stemming tobacco, the j combination withthe feeding-belts for carrying theleaves into the machine'with the stems encircling one of the outer pairs of said pulV leys, and between which brush and the belt the` tobacco` is fed, andra horizontal gageplate to determine the height thatthe stems project abovethe brush, substantially as specified. v j

,Signed by us this 15th day of March, 1899. p JAMES E. SCHOOLFIELD.

GEO. M. GUERRANT.` `Witnesses:

p D. P. WITHERS, Ron'r. JAMIEsoN.

substantially vertical, pulleys around which IOO 

